Arcimoto is an electric vehicle company based in Eugene, Oregon. They had a press conference (EV launch) in downtown Portland, Oregon at Pioneer Square on September 23rd, 2009. Follow arcimoto on twitter @arcimoto

Arcimoto EV's are available for pre-order for under $20,000. Don't forget that you will be able to take advantage of federal and state tax credits to lower the price as well. Please check out their site for the specs, more pictures, and the latest news. As Oregonians, we need to support our local companies...especially if they are green, and especially if they are start-ups (our state could use some jobs).

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New Environmental Documentary CRUDE comes to Cinema 21
ONE WEEK ONLY! 11/13-11/19
Cinema 21 :: 616 NW 21st Ave, Portland, Oregon 97209 :: (503) 223-4515
*Filmmaker Joe Berlinger in person 11/13 at the 7pm show!*

Three years in the making, this cinéma-vérité feature from acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Brother’s Keeper, Paradise Lost, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) is the epic story of one of the largest and most controversial environmental lawsuits on the planet. The inside story of the infamous "Amazon Chernobyl" case, Crude is a real-life high stakes legal drama, set against a backdrop of the environmental movement, global politics, celebrity activism, human rights advocacy, the media, multinational corporate power, and rapidly-disappearing indigenous cultures. The plaintiffs allege that the pollution has created a "death zone" in an area the size of the Rhode Island, resulting in increased rates of cancer, leukemia, birth defects, and a multiplicity of other health ailments. Presenting a complex situation from multiple viewpoints, the film subverts the conventions of advocacy filmmaking, exploring a complicated situation from all angles while bringing an important story of environmental peril and human suffering into focus.

Check out the trailer and learn more about the film at: http://www.crudethemovie.com

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD!

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The Oregon Toxics Alliance is proud to announce that the Oregon-based, all-organic company, Mountain Rose Herbs has been motivated by OTA’s important work and has pledged to match your donation made before December 31st, 2009 (up to $2,000)! This allows you the rare opportunity to double the impact of your donation.

Here is what your donation will help OTA make possible:

What the Research Proves: Pesticides cause neurological damage and brain cancer.

What OTA is Doing: We are working to pass a law that requires the State of Oregon to follow a “pesticides as a last resort” policy in all public buildings and facilities, including parks and roads, and to protect Oregonians and our native fish population from aerial pesticide spray.

What the Research Proves: Idling a vehicle more than 20 seconds not only emits cancer-causing fumes and greenhouse gases, it’s also bad for your motor and uses more fuel than driving.

What OTA is Doing: OTA is pressing for No Idling policies that encourage drivers to shut off their car in parking lots, driveways and drive-thrus.

What the Research Proves: Chemicals leaching from common consumer products are found in mother’s breast milk, umbilical cord blood and in the bodies of everyday people.

What OTA is Doing: We are working in coalition with state and national groups to pass laws that require manufacturers to disclose all chemicals in consumer products and to ban those known to be endocrine disruptors and carcinogens.

Together with you, our supporter, The Oreon Toxics Alliance can enact our broad strategy to leave a long-lasting legacy for Oregon of clean air, healthy bodies and a toxic-free environment.

That’s why we urge you to give as generously as you can to ensure Oregon Toxics Alliance has the resources to strengthen Oregon’s laws to protect your health, and your family’s health, and stop environmental harm.

Thank you for your support and for making Oregon Toxics Alliance a strong and clear voice for better environmental policies and public health protection in Oregon. This is an extraordinary moment to make a difference. Please give as generously as you can today!

Become a member of Oregon Toxics Alliance! 2 ways available:

Contribute Online:

Join OTA today!
or...PRINT this PDF form, fill it out and send it in with your check made out to:
Oregon Toxics Alliance
P.O. Box 1106
Eugene, OR 97440

OTA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and all contributions are fully tax-deductible. Please consider giving a gift of an OTA membership to a friend or family member!

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GUEST VIEWPOINT: Myths cloud the truth about biomass energy generation

By Rodolfo Oliviera and Suzana Radivojevic
Appeared in print: Monday, Oct 26, 2009

News: Last Seven Days: Story
Claims made by Seneca Sawmill Co. that appeal to the public’s hope for clean energy promote public misinformation. A tremendous backlash to biomass is building in the Northeastern states where plants are already on line; will Oregonians learn the same lessons, but also too late? Let’s debunk some of the prominent myths of the biomass proponents:

Myth: Biomass energy generation is carbon neutral and helps solve global warming.

Fact: By Seneca’s own admission, this one facility will generate more than 210,000 tons of greenhouse gases yearly that trap pollution and infrared radiation.

A biomass co-generation plant converts carbon sequestered over a tree’s 50- to 60-year growing cycle to greenhouse gases. While existing greenhouse gas tracking and trading systems account only for emissions from fossil fuels, new tracking systems, which are already in development, will soon include emissions of biogenic carbon. A facility such as Seneca’s will be held accountable for its carbon emissions.

The plant will also emit substantial amounts of nitrogen oxides, which are precursors to tropospheric ozone — the “bad” ozone that damages forests and crops and is a health threat to people who exercise outdoors or have breathing problems.

The Seneca plant will saturate our local climate with other trapped pollutants, including particulate matter in permanent suspension. This has the effect of creating a local micro-climate capable of creating thermal inversions and acid rain. Even if one accepts that biomass is carbon neutral, its emissions have a significant potential for changing the quality of life for the communities nearby.

Myth: Seneca’s plant is not a major source of air pollution when compared to cars and trucks.

Fact: Comparing power plants to vehicle emissions is misleading. Air pollution from a static, steady-state pollution source operating continuously is distinctly different compared with a multitude of personal, public and business vehicles and equipment. That is one among many reasons that industrial point source emitters such as biomass plants require air pollution permits under the Clean Air Act.

In contrast, vehicles are intermittent, nonpoint sources that are regulated and monitored under a different set of rules, some of which are not even operating in Lane County. Local pollution from cars and trucks would be considerably curtailed if the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency had a vehicle emissions testing program in place such as exists in Portland and Medford.

Myth: Seneca will reduce pollution by burning forest slash in a cleaner way.

Fact: A source of pollution that was dispersed in rural areas will be transported to a single facility within the city limits, burned 24 hours a day, and will release toxics known to cause lung and cardiovascular diseases upwind of homes, schools, hospitals, ball fields, playgrounds and parks.

Is open slash burning an unregulated source of pollution that needs to be significantly reduced? Yes, but slash and renewable wood products can be reused by businesses (i.e., Rexius Sustainable Solutions or Lane Forest Products) to produce more carbon-sequestering products such as compost and material for landscaping and agriculture. Local businesses that provide these wood products currently offer many dependable, family-wage local jobs.

Myth: Seneca is doing all it can to control air pollution.

Fact: The Seneca power plant will be among the top polluters in Lane County, even after the smoke passes through its pollution control equipment.

The company refused to install state-of-the-art emission control technology available for biomass boilers, which is significantly more efficient in reducing air pollutants than the one adopted by Seneca. This superior technology, called Regenerative Selective Catalytic Reduction, is already being used at seven other biomass plants in the United States and is considered the best available control technology in two states. RSCR reduces the two main pollutants of concern, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, by 75 percent and 65 percent respectively.

Cost estimates for RSCR suggest that Seneca substantially overstated the costs of using RSCR to LRAPA. For example, the annual RSCR operating costs are less than $500,000, instead of the $1.7 million stated by Seneca. The total cost per megawatt of generated energy would amount to between $5 and $6.5, not the $10 claimed by the company.

LRAPA should have required an independent performance and cost evaluation of available technologies that weighed the benefits of diminishing greenhouse gases and reducing public exposure to harmful air pollutants. As it now stands, community health is sacrificed for cheaper, inadequate pollution control.

Other communities have discovered that biomass incineration is not a sensible solution to either waste or energy problems. If pollution control and location issues are not addressed at the beginning of the permitting process, a biomass co-generation plant will turn out to be a disappointing way to manage valuable biomass.

Rodolfo Oliviera, a chemical engineer, and Suzana Radivojevic, a wood engineer, are consultants for the Oregon Toxics Alliance in Eugene.

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/sevendays/21811114-35/story.csp

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Green Metropolis by David Owen is about the author's obsession for New York City as being the most successful model for sustainability. At first glance this book is a love story about New York...but I've noted that Owen cleverly calls out the obsession with the word "sustainability" and with the corporate green washing that has occurred over the last couple years.

While in the first chapter of the book, David Owen, takes jabs at "putatively" eco-friendly cities such as Portland, Oregon (where I live), I would love to take jabs at New York. However, some of the facts raised about New Yorkers in general do impress me. So I am willing to say that I partially agree with David Owen and I would love to express the things that I disagree with...

Facts that make New York greener than Portland:

82% of employed Manhattan residents travel to work by public transit, bicycle, or by foot!

Sure you can rant and rave that electric cars, bicycle lanes, and solar panels are NOT Green. But I beg to differ. Portland, Oregon is building the world's first High Rise Living Building that will be a net zero energy building. That means that it will use no more energy than it produces in terms of electricity and water. It will collect and store an annual supply of water from rain and naturally purify it for use in the building. Huge solar panels shaped in the form of a leaf will power the building, while public transit will run through the building via street car. Smart Power networking systems will monitor energy usage and every tenant of the building will be given an energy budget. Bicycle parking stations will be available too. Portland is also implementing an entire new district in downtown near the University dubbed "Eco District" where it will plan future net zero living buildings. Portland, Oregon is also the first city in the nation to install wind turbines on one of it's high rises to exemplify it's commitment to alternative energy.

Portland is known for being eco friendly because it is eco-friendly. We don't pose, we aren't inherently green by definition (density), we are green by CHOICE. We like our electric cars, parks, and bicycle lanes because they add to LIVABILITY, something that New York doesn't have. Even though Oregon doesn't have the high public transit usage yet, doesn't mean that the Portland metro region hasn't planned for it. The Portland region has extensively curbed back suburban sprawl through the nations only Urban growth boundary, setting the boundaries for where growth can occur over the next 50 years. Which means that Portland's density will only rise in the future. For the size of Portland, it is doing pretty well considering that the state of Oregon has vast open land and forests. Balance is key when planning for the future. Density is certifiably a goal for downtown Portland, but not at the expense of boring architecture or endless rows of ugly buildings.

In terms of toxics: Portland has identified air toxics as a major concern for the region and is working closely with committees and the Department of Environmental Quality to recognize and reduce air toxics that are specific problems for Oregon. Something the New York metro region does not address. I serve on the board for the Oregon Toxics Alliance in my state and on various committees in Portland that pertain to livability, communication, and the environment.

New York is New York. Population density is what NYC has going for it. It is a completely different life than most American's are use to. It is the epitome of what urban living truly is. Being green has not always been popular. In fact, it seems that only in the last few years has the media and by extension the general public have been aware that sustainability is important. The most likely reason for this is climate change. It seems that every corporation is trying to capitalize on being green in some fashion because they think it's what consumers will choose to buy (something Owen rightly calls out). All the sudden, Manhattan is being touted as a green city because of its density. Density does force people to live with less, density forces people to abandon their cars, and it forces people to waste less too. Therefore density by definition is green, and therefore New York would by definition be the greenest, if we were to measure solely by density or greenhouse gas emissions.

I completely disagree with Owen's statements that locavorism is not green, and his challenge of off grid infrastructure as being unsustainable. It's pretty obvious to me that everyone plays the cards that are dealt to them. There is no comparison to someone who grows up in New York city vs. someone who grows up in rural Wyoming. We can't just break everything down to a common denominator such as greenhouse gas emissions and say that New Yorker's are greener than those of Wyoming, Oregon, or Colorado. But, it is safe to say that in general terms, density is good, and sub-urban sprawl is bad...for the environment that is. But their are things we can all do to make our environmental impact less detrimental or non-existent.

I for one live in downtown Portland, Oregon. I live in the most walkable neighborhood, the Pearl District. I also don't drive my car unless I absolutely need to, and if I can't get to a desired location by light rail, streetcar, or bus I generally don't go there. Their is a paradigm shift occurring in our society. I would dare say that all the green washing by corporations is almost a necessary step in elevating the general public's perception that the environment is important. Had it not been for green washing, then the average American might not make the choice to recycle, or bicycle or walk to work instead of drive. My point being that we are and have been in transition to a greener economy, a greener society, and a greener way of life. However, the rest of our country cannot become Manhattan overnight. Becoming Manhattan is not even feasible for most small and mid size cities. However, sustainable practices, solar panels, electric cars, are a solution for the rest of us who don't live in Mega Cities like NYC, Chicago, or L.A. The Portland metro region is planning and preparing for a million more residents by 2030 and they aren't going to expand the urban growth boundaries. This means that our density will increase, but at least we will be able to control the livability aspect of the growth at the same time.

I'm just saying, New York is New York and you can't necessarily discount other sustainable lifestyles just based on public transportation uses. Owen also doesn't really address the environmental complications that arise from urban pollution. Apples and oranges aren't really good comparisons, but reading Green Metropolis should be mandatory reading for sub-urban planners that are trying to replicate California style sprawl across the country.

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GLO Pens are part of a new eco organization (Global Learning Outreach) that is providing sustainable solutions & donating their proceeds to education. The eco-friendly pens are made out of recycled cardboard and corn-plastic. Launching this year in NYC, they have partnered with a variety of specialty stores in Manhattan & Brooklyn, which now stock the GLO Pens. You can also buy these eco-friendly pens directly from their website and help support this great cause!

Check out their video & site for more information
http://www.projectglo.com

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Where Will You Be On 10/24?

Global Warming has already had a devastating effect on our planet. Rising tides, forest fires, drought, glacial melt and a variety of other natural disasters directly linked to climate change can be seen on scales never before documented. The clock is ticking for strong, binding and immediate international legislation to preserve the sanctity of our Earth and protect those who call it home.

In the count-down to the U.N. Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen this December, it is crucial that we send a clear message to decision makers. President Obama and other world leaders have a responsibility to take decisive action before time runs out.

That’s where you come in:
On October 24, 2009, the International Day of Climate Action will take place. In over 140 countries, 350.org and a coalition of partner groups will join together with people all over the world. Over1700 actions will take place letting decision makers in Copenhagen know that the people demand real change! It is up to YOU to you to be the change we wish to see.
So where will you be on 10/24? Find your local event at 350.org, and unite with your community for a safe, green future. Come one, come all and fight for the sustainability of our Earth.

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Well if you haven't figured out from the title...I am going to profess to you that spraying your behind instead of wiping with toilet paper is greener...lol.

Come on people...think about it, you may find yourself asking: "But do I really need this?" I think Dr. Oz on Oprah put it best: "If you had pee or poop on your hand, you wouldn't wipe it off with paper would you? You'd wash it off." The Bathroom Bidet Sprayer let's you do that in the most efficient and comfortable way, much better than a traditional bidet.The savings on toilet paper will help your wallet in these tough economic times and help the environment at the same time!

Honestly, when I think of a bidet, the first thing that comes into my mind is some automatic cleaning thing that would come out of the toilet...but this is really nothing more than one of those extension sprayers from your kitchen sink, only this one is sitting near your toilet. You're able to really get in their and make sure your behind is really clean.

This would benefit the environment because less solid waste would be going into the sewer systems and you would also be preventing your dollars from reaching certain companies that are cutting down old growth forests so you can wipe.

I tried this bathroom sprayer and I must say, that it's nice to know that everything is really clean back their. People should really pay more attention to how clean their bum is after wiping...ya know...it's sort of just common sense.

Now besides saving trees and reducing waste their are other benefits:
1. Superior Personal Cleaning
2. More Convenient and Faster than Toilet Paper
3. Helps with Hemorroids and Rectal Itch
4. Makes Washing Cloth Diapers a Breeze
5. Great for Cleaning In and Around the Toilet

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The kind folks at shopombligo.com wanted me to test drive one of their products and tell everyone that their used and recycled laptops can help save energy and environment.

I must admit that I was skeptical that their particular laptops could save energy over newer energy efficient laptops with energy sipping processors. But it wasn't until they told me that their computers were wiped clean and installed with the Ubuntu operating system and I learned that they were re-using computers that had already been used. They get their gently used laptops from corporations that either don't need them anymore or that have minor damages and are repaired into working condition.

Ombligo is doing a service by keeping perfectly good computers in working condition for anyone who may need a computer but can't afford the new computer price tag. This is recycling and reusing at its core and is a resource everyone should know about.

From PlanetGreen.com:

Computers running Ubuntu have been shown to consume significantly less energy than identical machines running Windows Vista. In addition to this, there are a number of free programs available to help turn your Ubuntu computer into a power sipping green-machine. A notable example is Powertop, a program developed by the Less Watts project, that analyzes your computer and tells you what settings adjustments to make in order to improve efficiency.

Forget about the fact that Ubuntu is totally free. Disregard the social and humanitarian implications that come along with supporting open-source computing. Package-less distribution, reducing e-waste, and reducing power consumption alone are clear reasons to give Ubuntu a chance today. Trust me: Your computer will never be greener, or happier.

I have never encountered a computer with Ubuntu software on it, so when I was attempting to use it for the first time, I was surprised on how easy it was to use. I was greeted with a simple to use Graphical User Interface (GUI), and was able to easily get to programs that I was familiar with including Skype, Firefox, and OpenOffice. It also runs pretty fast with a 1.6 GHz processor and 1GB of Ram, I never ran into any of the delays I constantly experience on my Vista Laptop with more power. I would classify the Dell Laptop I tested as a powerful netbook that would be perfect for taking to the coffee shops around town.

The point I would like to drive home with this blog post is that E-waste is a HUGE problem in our society. And I would highly recommend anyone view a documentary called "Manufactured Landscape" to learn more about what I am talking about. We can all do simple things, but please remember that when you throw electronics away, that YOU are contributing to the decline of our environment. Their are recycling centers everywhere that will help recycle your old electronics and in some cases re-use them as well.

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^{Plastic bag photo credit to rphlegm on Flickr}

Save The Bay Introduces ‘Bucks for the Bay’ Challenge

The statistics are scary. Every year, residents of the San Francisco Bay area use more than 3.8 billion plastic bags. Of these, more than 1 million bags end up in the Bay, threatening wildlife and the overall health of the ecosystem. But plastic bags aren’t the only concern. Pollution and sprawl are major threats to the environmental health of the area.

Thankfully, San Francisco Bay has found a champion in Save The Bay – the largest regional organization working to protect, restore and celebrate the Bay. This summer University of Phoenix has committed their support to the cause by matching individual donations dollar-for-dollar (up to $40,000) before Aug. 31.

Every donation makes a difference – whether its $5 or $500 – and in this case, you get to feel like you’re giving twice as much! Plus, donors also get the opportunity to download a Bay screensaver and images to use as desktop backgrounds.

You can find more information at http://savesfbaygallery.org/landing.html

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It may seem strange to devote an entire article to vehicle acceleration and braking. Maybe it isn’t normal for drivers to consider the implications of stopping and going in their cars. Regardless of how often we think about the effects of driving our cars, they are having an impact on the environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere in large amounts may contribute to permanent changes in Earth’s climate. According to fueleconomy.gov, a typical car produces 6 to 9 tons of CO2 yearly and "highway vehicles account for 26% of U.S. CO2 emissions (1.7 billion tons each year)". Many Americans rely on their cars as their primary mode of transportation. Investing in more fuel-efficient cars or switching to public transit could help reduce CO2 emissions, but many drivers simply cannot take advantage of those options.

There is a tool available to help drivers significantly reduce emissions from their cars. New Potato Technologies is a creative design firm interested in technology projects that reduce negative human impact on the environment. In order to put an environmentally-friendly tool in the hands of the growing population of iPhone™ owners, the development team at New Potato designed MyMPG™, a fuel-saver application for iPhone™ and iPod touch®.

The basic design of MyMPG is immediately easy to understand. It teaches you how to make small changes in your driving that lead to big savings on gas. A scale on the main screen of MyMPG changes color with acceleration and braking. Inefficient driving causes MyMPG to send out a sound while the scale jumps from green to yellow to red. Efficient driving keeps the scale in the green, helping drivers learn that easing off the accelerator and brakes saves gas. MyMPG also includes a way to enter gas fill-up information at the pump, and a graph that provides details of your fuel consumption and costs.

You don’t have to be tech-savvy to understand what makes MyMPG useful. A little research through Edmunds.com or fueleconomy.gov will reveal that slower acceleration and braking can result in as much as a 35% improvement in gas mileage. To put it in more global terms, if 100,000 people used MyMPG and each saved 100 gallons of gas this year, this would translate to 10 million gallons of gas saved. Although that information might have been good to learn back in Driver’s Ed, MyMPG can help people learn how to drive to make a difference now.

MyMPG is currently available in the iTunes® App Store?. To get some more of the story, you can visit the developer’s website at new-potato.com.

MyMPG is brought to you by New Potato, an Apple Developer and a creative design firm located on the sunny shores of North Carolina. Please contact Sarah Sheffield at sarah@new-potato.com with any comments or questions about MyMPG.

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^{Fremont Bridge, looking to the Pearl District, courtesy BikePortland.org}

Yes today was the annual Portland Bridge Pedal where thousands of Portland's bicyclists come out of the wood works to get a chance to bike across ALL of Portland's bridges.

A big thanks goes to BikePortland.org for taking these BREATHTAKING, AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL aerial photos of the event today.

Portland's Bridge Pedal is described as Iconic as it boasts 20,000 bicyclists strong. People have reported the event as very peaceful and successful. Words cannot describe these aerial photos, so I will just leave you all to ponder...

All the photos in this post are thanks to Bike Portland. Check out his really cool blog for everything about the Portland Bike Culture.

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^{Photo courtesy of mosmancouncil on Flickr}
Today the Oregon DEQ posted a news release to announce that they have received almost collected 10 million pounds of television sets, monitors, and computers in the first 6 months of the Oregon E-cycle Program. The state originally estimated that they would collect 12 million pounds for the entire year.

The Oregon E-Cycles Program, which provides free, convenient recycling of televisions, computers and monitors throughout the state, collected 9.54 million pounds of waste for recycling during its first six months, far above originally projected rates. The program, which launched Jan. 1, originally projected collection of 12.2 million pounds of material throughout 2009.

The total amount of electronic waste collected at the more than 200 collection sites in Oregon in April, May and June was 4.81 million pounds, up slightly from 4.73 million pounds tallied for the first three months. Of the 9.54 million-pound total for the first half of 2009, more than half (56 percent) was from collection of televisions, 33 percent from monitors and 11 percent from computers.

Unwanted computers, monitors and TVs – referred to as electronic waste or "e-waste" – is the fastest growing waste stream in the U.S. With technology constantly changing, we replace our electronics every few years. In 2007 alone, Americans generated about 232 million units of computer and TV-related e-waste, only 18% of which was recycled. In addition, it’s estimated that 235 million more units are stored in our basements, closets and garages.

Did You Know?

According to the U.S. EPA, 40% of lead and 70% of other toxics found in landfills – including mercury, cadmium and polybrominated flame retardants - are from electronics.

E-Cycling Conserves Natural Resources
Electronics contain valuable materials – including copper, gold and aluminum – that can be recycled and used in new products. Recycling these materials prevents the need to extract virgin materials, conserving natural resources.

E-Cycling Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Using recycled materials consumes less energy than using virgin materials to make new products. Because less energy is consumed, less greenhouse gases are emitted.

E-Cycling Protects Our Health and Environment
Electronics contain a host of hazardous substances. Even small amounts of these toxics can be dangerous if released into the air, water and soil. E-cycling protects our health and environment by keeping these substances out of our landfills and incinerators.

Where can I find an Oregon E-Cycles collector? Click here for Oregon E-Cycles collection sites and services near you.

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The Portland Bureau of Transportation is studying bike sharing as a possible tool to increase the number of bicycle trips and the number of people using bicycles for transportation and recreation.

Although over 100 bike sharing systems are in use internationally, Washington DC and Montreal, Quebec are the only North American cities that have installed the latest iteration of bike sharing systems. Bikes are usually checked out by a credit card or Smart Card at an un-staffed kiosk adjacent to the parked bicycles.

More information is available at: http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/bikesharing

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^{Telecommute (photo thanks to _e.t on Flickr)}

Telecommuting and outsourcing are really starting to take off as the worldwide economic crisis is forcing employers to find new ways to reduce costs and increase employee productivity.

At first, the thought of letting an employee work unsupervised at home may be a terrifying experience for managers. But if you trust your staff to be self-motivated in their work, the payoffs can be huge. The following is a short list of environmental benefits of telecommuting:

Outsourcing is a great money-saving option for companies looking to reduce HR costs. The software industry understands this, and has been outsourcing to India for years. Now, the trend is starting to take off in other areas of business as well.

What’s most exciting about this trend is that it shows how environmental stewardship and the free market economy can work closely together in a frictionless partnership. These 2 ideologies don’t have to be in conflict with each other.

Of course, the system isn’t perfect. From an IT and disaster-planning perspective, this move can be particularly challenging.

Most companies today will manually back up their computer data to some sort of physical digital media on a nightly basis. Some examples include backup tapes, DVDs, external hard drives, etc...

This is fine for corporate servers and systems physically housed in the main office, but it can quickly become a logistical nightmare when it comes to managing remote systems such as laptops. In fact, the Ponemon institute recently released a study that showed 42% of business travelers do not back up their data.

For this, and many other reasons, companies are turning to “cloud-based” or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) systems for their data protection. SaaS data protections services, such as online backup, allow companies to effortlessly manage multiple remote locations without having to invest in additional equipment, staffing, or licensing.

SaaS backup systems are 100% digital, and send data over the internet using a secure connection. This means no more lost, stolen, or broken backup tapes. Also, because these systems are fully-automated, your IT staff can devote their time to more productive activities within the organization.

Of course, as your company grows, the task of managing these remote systems will eventually get much more complicated. That’s why it’s important to choose a provider that offers a centralized management portal. This way, you can manage accounts in bulk and group users into functional categories. This will ensure more efficient administration and fewer potential configuration errors.

For more information on telecommuting, I’d strongly recommend checking out COI.com’s excellent guide, filled with up-to-date content and resources. And if your company is planning to take advantage of the telecommuting trend, make sure to first implement a disaster recovery plan that’s able to handle it.

About The Author:

Storagepipe Solutions provides email archiving, online backup and server backup solutions that help companies manage the complexities of telecommuting and operating through many geographically-dispersed remote locations. Storagepipe also writes periodic IT management articles for CIO.com.

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Safeway’s BRIGHT GREEN CLEAN TEAM will set out to clean up various public locations in Portland along with local volunteer organizations. The Portland community clean up will be the fifth stop of an extended six-city clean up campaign that will display Safeway’s new BRIGHT GREEN home care cleaning product line in a manner that actually makes a difference in the community and champions the importance of environmental responsibility.

Franklin High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team will be collaborating with Safeway’s BRIGHT GREEN CLEAN TEAM to clean up the Oregon Zoo, Saturday August 8th from 12pm - 2pm. Their will also be a cleanup at from 4pm-9pm @ Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Safeway’s Focus on Green

BRIGHT GREEN products are a part of Safeway’s greater company wide commitment to the environment. Safeway created a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Initiative to manage its carbon footprint, address climate change and reduce air pollution. Its conscientious commitment to environmental practices include being one of the largest retail purchasers of renewable wind energy in the U.S.; launching a solar power program to convert two dozen California stores to solar energy; implementing energy-saving strategies in stores by installing energy-efficient refrigeration technology and freezer systems and using LED lighting to significantly reduce electricity usage; and operating an extensive recycling program in which nearly 500,000 tons of materials are recycled each year. Safeway also offers reusable bags to customers and has plastic bag recycling programs at many stores.

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Portland is in an unofficial race with San Francisco to be the first city to Electrify itself for EV's. I think that Portland, Oregon is now on top with a recent infusion of stimulus funds according to the Portland Business Journal. The journal wrote that Oregon was chosen as an electric vehicle testing market. The state of Oregon will receive 1,000 new Nissan Leaf EV's and funding for 2,500 charging stations by late 2010. The program will start out in Portland and then expand into Salem, Corvallis, and Eugene.

Three other Oregon companies will receive stimulus funds related to the building of an EV infrastructure. Since I am an owner of an Electric Scooter, I cannot wait for Portland to install more of these charging stations around downtown.

It looks like Portland will have one up against San Francisco in the Great Electric Vehicle Race as gas2.org points out.

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Guerrilla gardening is a practice that many avid environmentalists use as a form of activism in land use. It simply the practice of planting food crops or decorative flowers/plants/or trees on land that does not belong to them. People who do it, sometimes do it in the secrecy of night, while others blatantly tend to gardens on other peoples property during the day.

The term also goes hand in hand with seed bombs or seed grenades. Seed bombs are used to throw seeds that will grow in unused or ugly land/lots. There is some land that I can think of that needs some seed bombing near my home.

If you plan to plant a guerrilla garden or if you plan to seed bomb...then using drought resistant species is important if you want better chances of your plants survival.

Please know that you possibly could get in trouble for seed bombing or guerrilla gardening. However, usually people are more welcome to the idea of nice flowers, trees, bushes, or crops being in a place where ugly barren unused land once was.

If you have before and after pictures of seed bombs or guerrilla gardens you've done, send us an email to JT [at] theEnvironmentalblog.org and we'll post em up.

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I am always open and willing to try new ways to green my routine and everyday living. As I was getting ready one morning it hit me how much of a process it is to get ready. For a girl it may require more steps in being fully ready and groomed in the morning but there is plenty to learn for both guys and gals here. I've compiled some of my favorite tips for saving energy, conserving water, and consuming less overall, just in getting ready for the day.

You're alarm goes off and you groggily shuffle with half opened eyes to the bathroom. You grab your tooth brush and proceed to brush those pearly whites. And then next (if you're a guy) you will usually shave. First thing you can change about this picture here is to make sure that toothpaste and shaving cream is natural since most of these products contain phenols and carcinogenic chemicals that can be ingested by the skin and absorbed by the body. Choose toothpaste without artificial dyes, SLS, silica and other harmful ingredients and try shaving cream made with almond or coconut oils. Oh and never leave the water running while brushing or shaving!

Check your thermostat - Before hopping into that shower, check the temperature on your water heater. Changing the setting from 140° to 120° can save you up to 10 percent in energy bills!

Use Less water - I think most of can admit that sitting under hot flowing water is relaxing and leaves you with the feeling that you never want to get out of the shower. Well its time to be strong and pull yourself away from being seduced by the ever so relaxing hot water. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that a typical shower head uses two gallons of water per minute. If you take a 15 minute shower that's 30 gallons of water! Switching to a low flow shower head can also help in cutting down some water usage.

Let your hair air dry (for ladies mainly) - If you can manage some extra time in the morning then skip the blow drying. It is way better for your hair since blow drying sucks the moisture right out of your hair and makes it easily breakable. Towel dry your hair and then brush it straight. Run your fingers through it and give it a toss frequently. Doing this instead of blow drying will save a considerable amount of energy. Try to keep in mind to only blow dry when absolutely necessary. There are also energy efficient blow dryers and straighteners out there that use less watts than others do.

Get rid of the vinyl - A lot of us use or have used vinyl shower curtains in the past. just say goodbye to the PVC. Polyvinyl Chloride is the fancy name for vinyl and creates a nasty chemical called Dioxin during manufacturing use and disposal. Dioxin is a known carcinogen that can also disrupt hormonal systems and may cause reproductive and immune system damage. So don't bring any #3 plastic, vinyl, or PVC into your life.

Ditch the razors - 2 billion disposable plastic razors are purchased each year. Eventually they get tossed into the landfill. A more permanent razor with changeable razor heads would be a better choice to help reduce waste.

Your cup of coffee - Fair trade Organic is the way to go. Carry a stainless steel mug with you to work or school.

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^{Courtesy of Allard1 on Flickr}

So many of us are trying to get in shape for the swimsuit season or just like to keep fit and healthy. Some of us dread going to the gym or going for a daily run, while others may enjoy it. Well if you make the choice to get out there and do your mind, body, and spirit some good, then brownie points for you! The next step maybe to think about greening your workout as best as possible. You don't need a gym membership so that the extreme regular gym goers can intimidate you into thinking to yourself "I can never look like that!" Forget that business! All you need is a pair of shoes. So let's get to some things you can do that will feel great and be eco friendly all at the same time. Here is our list of 5 ways to green your exercise routine:

1) Blow the dust off your bicycle and get involved with your community. If you've put it off in the past for fear of riding alone, there are many bicycle groups within communities across the nation. And if you don't own a bicycle, search the ads in your area and get one used (another way to green your routine). Riding your bike is free and helps you be one with the nature around you!

2) If you do choose to join a gym then pick one closest to your home. Then you can either walk, run, or bike there. This will cut down on carbon emissions and save you some gas money from driving, and possibly save you parking fees.

3) Lace up your shoestrings and just run. Running in the outdoors is the best form of cardio exercise (in my opinion). Actually out of all motorized pieces of fitness equipment, treadmills use the most energy. So why waste energy when there is the beautiful outdoors to enjoy? There may be some psychological perks as well. Their could be mental health benefits of exercise while working out in the fresh air. A study conducted by the City University of New York found that women who regularly exercised outdoors in parks felt that nature helped to revitalize their senses and restore their mental capacity. A similar study conducted by the University of Essex revealed that individuals exposed to images of the outdoors while exercising reported higher levels of self-esteem post-workout than those who were not. Personally I find that going for a jog on a nice day is a great way to clear your head and gather your thoughts. Being cooped up in a gym makes my mind focused only on the calories I'm burning, which sometimes leads to more stress and pressure.

4) Purchase a reusable water bottle. It's probably one of the more important things you can do. Since 38 billion plastic bottles go into landfills in the US each year. Plastic bottles take up to 1000 years to biodegrade. Also regular water bottles contain chemicals that may leak into your water...yikes! There are many reusable water bottles out there on the market that can fit whatever activity you may need it for. Besides that one time use water bottles are wasteful.

5) Eat Organically and Wear Naturally. Before your workout you will need some kind of food in your tummy, so make sure its energizing fresh and organic. Skip the artificial stuff and processed foods. Go with something light like an organic energy bar. Also if you feel like a new pair of yoga pants or biking shorts will help get you motivated to get into a green routine, then go with organic fabrics with soy and and organic cotton blends.

Don't forget to check out our tips on swimming green and tips on green summer fun.

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